Soliciting Chocolate
by Scabbers1
Summary: It's not that I thought you needed a Halloween story for New Years- it just turned out that way. Please read it anyway- it's got some time with our heroes when they are ickle, and just a bit of R/H, H/G ten years later.
1. 1985, the Burrow

Just a random something that takes place on Halloween, but over a span of ten years. Sort of, maybe, a suggestion of romance to come (but not while they're five, you sick puppy!). Anyway, hope you like, please review, and... um... happy new years.  
  
All credit to J.K. Rowling, all blame to me. Don't sue. College kids are poor.  
  
  
Soliciting Chocolate  
By Scabbers  
1985, the Burrow  
  
  
"Hold still, Ginny, I'm almost done," said Molly Weasley, as she drew one last whisker across her daughter's freckled cheek. "Now all you need is a pink nose. Would you like a heart or a circle?"  
  
"A heart," declared Ginny, without hesitation.  
  
"One heart nose, coming right up," said Molly. "Don't scrunch your nose like that, dear. I know it tickles, but I'm sure you want it to look right, don't you."  
  
"You almost ready?" asked Ginny's orange-clad brother Ron, who had been hovering impatiently nearby.  
  
"Ready now," pronounced Molly, as she replaced the cap on the pink lip pencil she had been using. "You're all done, dear," she said, kissing her daughter on the forehead. "Run and go get your father, now. Go on."  
  
Ginny and Ron clambered upstairs to collect their father and their three older brothers who were still living at home. Molly smiled as she arranged chocolate frogs and every flavor beans on a tray for the trick-or-treaters. Upstairs, she could hear her twin sons singing as they put the finishing touches on their costumes, taking turns with each line.  
  
"She walked down by the old graveyard- oooooh!"  
  
"She went to the closet to get a broom- oooooh!"  
  
"She opened the door and... BOO!"  
  
At this, there was a loud scream that could only be Ginny. Sure enough, Molly's youngest and only daughter bounded down the stairs and into her mother's arms, followed by her older brother Percy.  
  
"Mother," said Percy importantly, "The twins frightened Ginny." Percy, age ten, didn't look particularly festive, but it was not for lack of enthusiasm. His stiff black robes and slicked back hair were part of an elaborate costume- tonight he was not Percy Weasley, but the Minister of Magic.  
  
Moments later, the honorable Minister, the cat, and their mother were joined by the remaining Weasleys: the twins, Ron, and their father. "Alright, everyone line up for a picture," said Arthur Weasley to his children, who were at the moment occupied with their valiant but futile attempts at obtaining from their mother a pre-trick-or-treating round of chocolate frogs.   
  
"No, no, and no. You're about to get more candy than you'll know what to do with- and Freddy, what on earth are you wearing?"  
  
Fred gave his mother a wide, toothless grin. "Me and George are Muggles," he said, proudly motioning to his cowboy hat.  
  
"That's wonderful dear, but Arthur, what's that around his neck? Do you really think that's safe?"  
  
Arthur looked bewildered. "You mean this?" he asked, gesturing to the short extension cord draped over his son's shoulders. "It's just eclectricity, Molly, all Muggles use it."  
  
"See, I have one, too," boasted George, stepping forward do his mother could admire the cord tied around his waist.  
  
"Well, if you say so, dear...," said Molly reluctantly. "Alright, guys, the sooner you pose for a picture, the sooner you can start trick-or-treating. The five children quickly scrambled into position.  
  
"Say pumpkin juice!" said Arthur, snapping picture after picture as they cheerfully obliged. "Good enough," he declared, finally. "Okay, gang, to the fireplace!"  
  
~  
  
The first fireplace the Weasleys stopped at belonged to their neighbors, the Diggorys. The Diggorys' son Cedric was older than the twins, but younger than Percy. Not having started out trick-or-treating yet, he stood by rather shyly as his parents greeted Mr. Weasley and the kids.  
  
"What have we here?" roared Amos Diggory, "A Muggle or two, a pretty little kitty cat!" Ginny blushed and giggled as Mrs. Diggory, too, admired her ears and whiskers. "And Ronnie's a Quidditch player this year, if I'm not mistaken." He winked at Arthur- Ron was never anything but a Quidditch player.  
  
"I'm a Chudley Cannon!"  
  
"Nice, nice. Of course, we favor the Montrose Magpies ourselves..." He gestured toward Cedric, who was decked out in robes of Magpie black and white. Cedric regarded Ron's bright orange with a disdainful little shrug.  
  
"Oh well, I guess someone's gotta root for those Cannons!" said Amos with a hearty guffaw. "Anyway, if you don't mind, we'll join you, seeing as we were on our way out ourselves."  
  
"Why not," said Arthur. "Shall we get on, then?" Throwing some floo powder into the fire Arthur sent the kids one at a time to Old Mrs. Quinch, who gave out excellent homemade ginger snapping turtles every year. Ginny, the youngest and always the last to step into the fireplace, stopped to give her father a hug and a kiss. "Daddy, I love Halloween!" she sighed, jumping into the fire to claim her turtle.  
  
Mr. Weasley smiled and brought his hand to his cheek. Ginny's cat nose had left a mark on his skin that was shaped like a heart.  
  
~  
~  
  
  
That was Halloween, 1985, brought to you by the Weasley family. 1985... I think I was a Care Bear. The song Fred and George sing is something I learned in music class way back when, and Mrs. Quinch is someone I made up. Keep reading for a somewhat bleaker story- Harry's Halloween. -Scabbers:) 


	2. 1985, 4 Privet Drive

Poor Harry, all alone with my personal least favorite kinds of candy. Read, review!  
Characters are all borrowed from J.K. Rowling. Dudley, she can have back.  
  
  
Soliciting Chocolate  
By Scabbers  
1985, 4 Privet Drive  
  
  
"I'm ready now. I want to go," whined the little king. "I want to go get candy!"  
  
"Daddy's almost ready, Duddy-kins," cooed his mother, adjusting his crown. "He's just fixing the video camera. Don't you want Mummy and Daddy to have a video of you to show Auntie Marge and Grandma?"  
  
"No, I want CANDY!" demanded King Dudley, his lower lip protruding impressively. He proceeded to throw a noisy little tantrum that almost (but not quite) drowned out the stream of obscenities coming from the living room, as his father fiddled with the video recorder. The mother patted her son's shoulder consolingly, but to the boy's shock and dismay, she did not attempt to hurry his father along. Instead, she whirled around, and acknowledged for the first time that evening her young nephew on the staircase.  
  
Dudley's cousin Harry was sitting silently on the fourth step with a bowl of candy in his lap; he was to answer the door for trick-or-treaters, as he had done every year for as long as he could remember. He was a peculiar looking boy- at the age of five, he already wore glasses, and the eyes behind them were large and green. He was staring now, through the glasses at his aunt, saying nothing.  
  
"Well, what are you waiting for, stupid boy?" she barked, "Give Dudley some candy!"  
  
"Yes, Aunt Petunia," he said quietly, standing up to offer some sweets to his cousin. Dudley regarded the selection unhappily. "These are gross, and I hate them. Where are the Snickers and the Crunch Bars?"  
  
"You ate them all, dear," said his mother nervously, for she could tell Dudley was gearing up for another tantrum. Dudley always ate the best candy before Halloween every year, so all that was left over for the trick-or-treaters were the nastiest flavors of colored Tootsie rolls, and black licorice. Unfortunately, as Dudley also liked to nibble on the home supply before going out to collect his own candy, there was a conflict nearly every year when he discovered his precious chocolates were all gone.  
  
Thankfully, Dudley's father burst in at that moment with the video camera, ready to go. "Dudley's fifth Halloween," he said gruffly, fixing the camera upon the round little king as he stuffed a generous handful of the "gross" candy into his bag anyway.   
  
"That's m'boy," chuckles the father. "Clever lad to get a head start."  
  
~  
  
  
Left alone with the rather meager bowl of candy, Harry was somewhat happier, He had never much cared for Halloween, always felt uneasy about it for some reason, but at least he knew he had a few good hours before his uncle, aunt, and cousin returned. Not much of a walker, Dudley had a surprisingly good stamina when it came to collecting candy.  
  
Besides, Harry thought, the fruit flavored Tootsie Rolls weren't so bad. His aunt always warned him not to lay a greedy finger on the candy bowl, but he knew he could get away with a small indulgence if he was careful about throwing away the wrapper. He had just finished a yellow one that was either lemon or banana (you could never tell), when the doorbell rang for the first time that evening,   
  
It turned out to be two little girls, one dressed as a princess, and the other as a ballerina. Harry offered them their pick of the candy, which they accepted politely enough, although they were clearly somewhat unenthusiastic about their options. "Thank you!" they chorused, running to join their parents at the end of the driveway. Harry watched them go, sadly, as they continued down Privet Drive. He always wished he could be a part of the fun, laughing with friends as candy accumulated in his pillowcase. It was always so lonely sitting on the staircase of number 4 Privet Drive, waiting for the doorbell to ring.  
  
It did, soon enough- a boy, this time, with his parents. Harry admired his costume silently, as he thrust the disappointing bowl of candy before him. The boy was dressed like a wizard, with a sparkly purple robe and a clever pointed hat. He even carried, Harry noted, a magic wand with a silver star on the end. If only he had a magic wand with a brilliant silver star on the end, that would bring his parents back, so at least he wouldn't feel so alone every time another kid said "thank you" and continued down the street.   
  
Sighing softly, Harry closed the door and settled back into his place on the fourth step. He removed two green tootsie rolls and a piece of licorice from the bowl, but instead of eating them, he arranged them to look like a smiley face next to him on the step. He didn't know who it was supposed to be, but he liked that it was smiling just for him. "Happy Halloween," he said to the face, and he didn't eat it, not for the whole night.  
  
~  
~  
  
  
That's the last of 1985- prepare to travel ten forward ten years as the gang prepares for a different sort of Halloween.  
And can I pose a question to the other authors- is it just me, or is Dudley Dursley really fun to write? Later,  
Scabbers 


	3. 1995, Three Broomsticks

Back again, and a bit older this time. Our gang is in Hogsmeade, being their happy selves. No striptease from Oliver Wood in this chapter, but someone dresses up like a bunny. R/R. :)  
Mad props to JKR one more time for the characters. I am not worthy.  
  
  
Soliciting Chocolate  
By Scabbers  
1995, Three Broomsticks  
  
  
"And he was about to take fifty points from Gryffindor, that bast-"  
  
"Ron!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, so you could tell he was going to take the points away, right, but then McGonagall shows up just in time, and Snape knows she knows we weren't doing anything wrong."  
  
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you?"  
  
"That's not important," declared Ron, sipping his butterbeer happily. "The point is, Harry and I got away scot free." Ron and Harry exchanged a high five in honor of their good fortune, as Hermione shook her head and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Aww, Hermione, lighten up," said Ron, "It's Halloween."  
  
"That doesn't mean you can-"  
  
"Look, Ron, it's your sister," said Harry, hoping to deflect the row he felt was brewing by changing the subject.  
  
"Wonderful," said Ron.  
  
"Hey, Ginny!" called Hermione, waving her over. Ron rolled his eyes, but nevertheless greeted his sister warmly enough. "Happy Halloween, Virginia dear."   
  
"Happy Halloween yourself, Ronald," answered Ginny sweetly. "You too, Hermione...Harry."  
  
"Why don't you join us," invited Hermione. Ginny glanced over at Ron, who shrugged agreeably before she slid into the seat across from him. "This is my all-time favorite holiday," she said, smiling. "Always has been."  
  
A moment later, she was struck with the horrible realization that Harry's parents had died on Halloween. Her smile faded as she berated herself for her thoughtlessness. "I always say the wrong thing," she thought miserably.  
  
Thankfully, no one else seemed to remember that little detail, and Harry didn't look particularly upset, currently. Ron was blabbering away now, probably trying in his misguided way to impress Hermione with tales of his candy collecting prowess as a youth.  
  
"And that year I was a Chudley Cannon-"  
  
"You were always a Cannon," reminded Ginny, "Every year."  
  
"Go figure," remarked Hermione.   
  
"Yeah, well, what were you for Halloween growing up? A princess or something? No wait, let me guess... you were a witch with a green face and warts and everything. The same as all the Muggle girls."  
  
"I'll have you know that I was always very creative with my Halloween costumes," Hermione said loftily.  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Really. Let's see... one year, I was Oscar the Grouch. My mum actually did paint my face green, and I walked around in a trash can."  
  
"Who the hell is Oscar the Grouch?"  
  
"I guess it's a Muggle thing... and watch your language, Ron!"  
  
"You sound like my mum."  
  
Hermione turned to Ginny for support, but she could only giggle and say, "Well you do sort of sound like her."  
  
"Yeah, well...?" Finally, she just gave up and grinned. "Well, I like your mum, anyway."  
  
At that point, everyone sort of noticed at the same time that Harry had been rather subdued throughout the entire conversation. "You okay, Harry?" asked Ron.  
  
'Huh? Oh...yeah," said Harry, seeming startled. "Sorry, I guess I was daydreaming."  
  
"We were just reminiscing about Halloween," said Hermione. "Were you ever anything exciting, or were you just the same thing every year like Ron was?" Ron grinned and shrugged.  
  
"Oh. Well, actually, I never went trick-or-treating, or anything," he said, almost apologetically. "My aunt and uncle wouldn't- oh, look, there's Katie Bell. I need to ask her something." He got up from the table and walked quickly away.  
  
"Um...Katie Bell's not in here," murmured Ron, shaking his head as he watched Harry's retreating back.  
  
"Oh, I feel terrible!" moaned Hermione, burying her face in her hands. "I should have guessed what Halloween was like for him. How insensitive of me!"  
  
"You didn't know," said Ron, patting her arm awkwardly, and immediately turning bright red at the touch.  
  
"That's so sad," remarked Ginny quietly, eyes still fixed in the direction Harry had gone. "I wish there was something we could do..." Suddenly, her face lit up. "I'll be back, guys. I've got to get something from Honeydukes!"  
  
"Great," said Ron, "Pick me up a couple of fizzing whizbees, will you?"  
  
"No, stupid. I'm going to Honeydukes for a specific purpose. For Harry," said Ginny. "I... we are going to give him his Halloween. We'll get loads of candy and spread it out between everybody. Make him trick-or-treat for it!"  
  
Ron looked skeptical. "Are you sure you're not just doing this because you fancy him and you're trying to-"  
  
"Oh, shut it, Ron!" said Hermione. "Ginny, that's so sweet."  
  
Ron glanced at Hermione, ears reddening. "Right, so Honeydukes it is. Brilliant idea, Ginny, really."  
  
Ginny smiled. "But we'll make like it was your brilliant idea, okay? I don't want him to think...well, you know."  
  
"If you say so..." said Hermione to Ginny's now-empty chair. She was already halfway to Honeydukes, her red ponytail bobbing behind her.  
  
~  
  
"So run this by me one more time- why am I wearing the headband?"  
  
"It's not a headband," explained Ron patiently. "Those are your bunny ears. It's Halloween, and naturally, you are a cute ickle bunny rabbit."  
  
"I'm a bunny. Naturally," said Harry, with a slow nod. He looked very, very confused.   
  
"Come on, Harry, it's time to go trick-or-treating," said Hermione, linking her arm through his. "They're expecting us."  
  
Ron and Hermione led a bewildered Harry first to his own dormitory. The door was closed, and Harry could hear spooky music playing inside. "Go ahead," said Ron, "Knock." Harry did so, hesitantly. Slowly, the door opened, and Ron nudged Harry. "Say it!" he hissed, "And hold out your pillowcase."  
  
"Uh... trick-or-treat?"  
  
"Ah, a trick-or-treater!" cackled Seamus, who had charmed his entire face to glow in the dark. "So, tell me, Potter, have you been a good boy this year?"  
  
"Wrong holiday, moron," said Dean Thomas. "Just give him the candy."  
  
"Right, the candy. Neville!"  
  
Neville Longbottom, dressed as a ghost, clambered across the room with a bowl of candy. Unfortunately, he had forgotten to cut eye holes, and he tripped over Ron's bed with a resounding "Oof."  
  
"Beautiful, Neville," said Seamus, scrambling to gather the bits of cockroach cluster and toffee that were scattered across the floor. Smiling, he dropped them into Harry's pillowcase. "They're okay- ten second rule."  
  
Harry didn't know how to respond- no one had ever done anything like this for him before. "Oh, wow. Thanks, guys-"  
  
"We're not done yet," interrupted Dean. He then proceeded to add an armload of Muggle candy into Harry's pillowcase. "Peanut M&M's," he declared, dropping the last package in with great flourish. "Now that is some quality shit."  
  
~  
  
Ron and Hermione accompanied Harry to each dormitory in Gryffindor, laughing quietly to each other as his smile grew with the weight of his pillowcase. Years of barely a fruit flavored tootsie roll were made up for with chocolate frogs in Ginny's dormitory, every flavor beans from Lavender and Parvati, sugar quills from the girls on the Quidditch team, and all kinds of suspicious looking things from Fred and George.  
  
"I can't believe... why did you...?" Harry flopped into a chair in the common room, beaming up at his two best friends.  
  
"Happy Halloween, Harry!" said Hermione simply, hugging him. And then, for no reason at all, she hugged Ron, too, before skipping merrily to her dormitory for bed.  
  
"What?" asked Ron, a moment later.  
  
Harry was smirking, eyebrows raised. "You're grinning," he said.  
  
"I'm NOT grinning," said Ron.  
  
"Oh, but you are."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
  
~  
  
  
"I mean, look at all of this," marveled Harry later in the dormitory, looking incredulously at the mountain of candy on his bed. "This is insane. Here, Ron, try this," he said, tossing a Reeses cup in his direction. "It's Muggle candy. You'll like it." Ron, who was looking at something by wandlight, caught it in the air.  
  
"Shh," he whispered. "They're sleeping. Mmm, this is good."  
  
"Whoops," said Harry, wide awake from all the chocolate. "Hey, what are you looking at?"  
  
Ron looked up. "Huh, this? It's just something my mum sent me. An old picture- have a look if you want." He stretched his arm out and handed it to Harry.  
  
Harry laughed quietly. "Halloween, I'm guessing? What are Fred and George supposed to be?"  
  
"Muggles," said Ron, "They were, like, seven."  
  
"I like their extension cords. Oh, and there's you in your Cannons gear."  
  
"Right. Go Cannons," said Ron, yawning.  
  
"And that's got to be Percy...and Ginny the cat. With a heart nose."  
  
"Yup, Ginny," said Ron, fading fast. "It was all her idea, you know."  
  
Harry felt himself blush suddenly. "What was?" he asked, although he was pretty sure he already knew.  
  
"This," Ron said, gesturing sleepily to the pile of candy. "Your Halloween."  
  
"Oh," replied Harry, not quite sure what to say.  
  
~  
  
The minutes ticked by, and Harry found that he couldn't sleep. He couldn't even keep his eyes closed. Ginny Weasley, he thought. "It was all her idea, you know," Ron had said.  
  
He rolled over in bed. Why hadn't she said anything? She must have told Hermione not to say anything either. More importantly, he thought, why had she arranged all of this for him, and what in the world was he going to say to her tomorrow?  
  
Suddenly, there was something he wanted to do, needed to do, and he needed to do it at that moment. Selecting a pack of red Muggle twizzlers and a few bags of Dean's favorite peanut M&M's, Harry put on his glasses and crept silently down to Ginny's dormitory. Quietly and carefully, he opened the door.  
  
The fourth-year girls were all sound asleep- Ginny herself lay on the second bed, mouth slightly open, cuddling a stuffed animal. Harry watched her for a minute, her blankets rising and slowly falling as she breathed.  
  
At one point, she looked like she was about to sneeze, and as her freckled nose crinkled, he imagined the heart that had once been painted on it. She was cute, he realized with a start. She was the cute of someone who had been an adorable child, and then had suddenly grown up while no one was paying attention.  
  
That would be something for him to ponder tomorrow, he thought, looking at the rust colored hair spread messily across her pillow. Yes, he had loads to think about tomorrow.  
  
For now, though, he knelt on the floor beside her bed, and opened the bags of candy as quietly as he could. In peanut M&M's, he spelled "thank you", on top of a piece of parchment so she could eat it in the morning.   
  
Then, beneath it, he made her a smiley face with two green M&M's for eyes and a twizzler for a mouth. There he left it, smiling up at her, as he crept quietly back to his dorm and slept til November.  
  
  
~  
~  
  
The end...  
  
Hope it made you happy, or at least made you crave M&M's. Have an amazing day!  
Love,  
Scabbers, who was never Oscar the Grouch for Halloween, and actually prefers crunchy M&M's to peanut. 


End file.
